Abuse and Neglect Experienced by Older Women in India – Extent, Impact on Their QoL and Its Policy Implications

Nidhi Gupta, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)

The population of India is ageing rapidly. Though older people experience abuse very often, the issue of abuse has been associated more with children and women. In India, 31 per cent of urban elderly experience abuse and one-fourth elderly face abuse daily. Frequency and duration of experiencing abuse is higher amongst older women. Due to rapid feminisation of ageing, it is important to understand the extent, forms of abuse experienced by older women and its impact on their quality of life. This study explores, the prevalence and forms of abuse amongst older women and elicit its influence on their QOL and well-being in India. A cross-sectional survey shows that about quarter of older women faced some form of abuse. Majority reported multiple forms of abuse and prime perpetrators were sons and husband. Half of those experiencing abuse reported health problems as a consequence of abuse and had significantly poor QOL.